GSM Subscribers To Pay More For Data From Dec.1 (1.5gig For N3000 Now)

Is is unfortunate that Nigerian government and NCC has gone crazy. Subscribers
of the Global System of Mobile telecommunications across the country
would pay more for data with effect from December 1, 2016, The PUNCH
learnt on Monday.

Although the telecoms companies declined to
speak on the matter, top management workers across the networks
confirmed the story to our correspondent, saying that the directive was
from the Nigerian Communications Commission.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a senior management employee of Etisalat Nigeria said,
“The NCC issued the directive late last week on the orders of the
Federal Government. We have not announced it yet because most of the
major telcos have been meeting the NCC on how to reverse this policy,
because it will be too harsh for Nigerians.

“However, we further
gathered that the Federal Government took the decision having discovered
that data rates are very low-priced in Nigeria, compared to other
countries, including nearby African countries.

“The government
might have also taken the decision given that Nigerian subscribers have
been kicking against the proposed nine per cent Communication Tax, whose
bill is currently in the National Assembly.”

Pleading not
to be mentioned, an employee of MTN said, “What this means is that MTN,
Airtel, Etisalat And Globacom will increase their data rates as from
December 1, 2016. A data plan of N1,000 for 1.5 Gigabytes will now be
increased to N3,000 at N1,000 per 500 Megabytes.”

In text
messages sent out to its subscribers, MTN, Africa’s mobile
telecommunications giant, confirmed that it had agreed to implement the
directive of the NCC. The MTN text read, “Dear customer, please
be informed that from 1st of December, some MTN data tariffs will be
increased to reflect the new rates set by the NCC for operators. Thank
you.”

The PUNCH could not obtain an official response from the NCC at of the time of filing this report.

However,
a representative of the commission said that the telecoms regulator was
unaware of such plans by the operators, even as she said her bosses had
claimed ignorance of the circulated message. “We are unaware of
it. I just asked my bosses; they are unaware. We will forward your query
to MTN for appropriate attention,” she said over the telephone.

However,
in a letter by the NCC to the operators sighted by our correspondent,
the commission stated, “This rate will subsist pending the finalisation
of the study on the determination of cost-based pricing for retail
broadband and data services in Nigeria. “In order to provide a
level playing field for all operators in the industry, small operators
and new entrants to acquire market share and operate profitably, small
operators and new entrants are hereby exempted from the price floor for
data services.”

It added, “For the avoidance of doubt a small
operator is one that has less than 7.5 per cent market share and a new
entrant is an operator that has operated less than three years in the
market. “All operators are to ensure that subscribers are not automatically migrated to pay-as-you-go platform. “Also, note that effective date for the interim price floor is December 1, 2016.”

Reacting
to the development, the President, National Association of
Telecommunications Subscribers, Mr. Adeolu Ogunbanjo, said that the NCC
representative was being economical with the truth. He said that
for MTN to have sent out millions of text messages to its subscribers
“clearly shows that the NCC indeed issued the directive.”

Ogunbanjo,
however, said that the association would resist the tariff hike,
adding, “We will challenge it in court. We are going right away to set
the machinery in motion. We are also going to do an urgent letter to the
NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Prof. Umar Danbatta, which we will drop in
his e-mail box.

“Unfortunately, the notice is short; today is
November 28, yet the order will take effect from December 1. It is not
just good for broadband penetration, whatever the reason may be. It is
against telecoms subscribers.” According to him, data availability means more youth engagement because they use data to develop apps and build software.

“But
with what the NCC has done, these boys who develop apps will be slowed
down and limited. The cost of doing business will also increase,” he
added.

GSM Subscribers To Pay More For Data From Dec.1 (1.5gig For N3000 Now)
Reviewed by Exlink Lodge
on
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Rating: 5